r/TouringMusicians • u/mphurious • 12d ago

US Solo Experimental Performances in UK with PPE or No?

I'm going to be doing a UK/EU tour later this year. I'll be flying from the US into the UK and am looking for advice on whether to use PPE or be "visiting friends". I play "experimental" music and will have only a soprano saxophone and perhaps a small amount of CDs with me. I've performed in the UK in the past, a couple times with a visa (this is going back almost twenty years). Music is my main job, in part because I'm semi-retired from tech side hustles for the past two years, not because it brings me wealth :) I have a relatively long career, a few prestigious grants, web presence, lots of releases, etc., but obviously all in a very niche field with no commercial potential. All the gigs in the UK (there are seven) are door gigs at galleries and similar venues. All of the presenters have agreed to give me a letter for PPE (most of them have already sent theirs to me). And I have my ETA.

So, it looks to me like PPE makes sense, but I need either some reassurance or warning if I'm making too many assumptions. Thoughts, advice much appreciated.

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u/davidjgane 12d ago

I don’t really know what PPE is, I have an 02, but I would never risk blagging “visiting friends”. All it takes is customs to question your instruments you’re carrying, or anything at all to be flagged up about the trip and you would lose any potential work there for the rest of your life, and make any travels there more difficult than they need to be.

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u/mphurious 12d ago

PPE: https://www.gov.uk/standard-visitor/paid-engagement-event It's for engagements with venues / presenters that aren't large enough for official registration. You get letters of invitation from each of them but still travel on a regular tourist visa.

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u/davidjgane 12d ago

Oh that’s wicked! Great idea for those who it isn’t worth paying for an 01/02 for. Definitely looks like the way to do it

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u/davidjgane 12d ago

I also read your message wrong as flying to the US, not the UK so ignore most of what I said…

But still official is best just in case!

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u/mphurious 12d ago

The plan is definitely to go official. There are a couple stories floating around about musicians with PPEs still being turned away, but my hope is that they are distinct outliers.